In order to ensure a smooth transition to IPv6 from IPv4, its necessary that the life span of IPv4 be sustained as much as possible. This document proposes a strategy for allocation and maintenance of the final block of /8 IPv4 assignment from IANA.

Background:

Following the much anticipated IPv4 pool exhaustion, a global policy, Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space‚ is being developed that will ensure that IANA reserves one (1) IPv4 /8 address block for each RIR. Details of the Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space can be found at: http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2009-v4-001.html. This policy (IPv4 Soft Landing) shall only become applicable if the Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space‚ is ratified.

AfriNIC as an RIR is therefore charged with the responsibility of seeing to it that this last block is used in the best way possible. This is the purpose of this document.

A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an Internet Registry (IR) that receives allocations from an RIR and primarily sub-allocates or assigns address space to 'end-users'. LIRs are generally ISPs. Their customers are other ISPs and possibly end-users. LIRs must be members of an RIR like AfriNIC; which serves the Africa Region and part of the Indian Ocean (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles).

(b) Existing LIR

An existing LIR is defined as being an organization that has already been assigned or allocated IPv4 address space by AfriNIC

(c) New LIR

A new LIR is defined as being an organization which has recently become a member of AfriNIC but has yet to be assigned or allocated any IPv4 address space.

This proposal describes how AfriNIC shall allocate and manage IPv4 resources from the last /8 block of IPv4 address allocated by IANA at the time of total depletion of the IANA IPv4 address free pool.

(i) Current Phase:

During this phase, AfriNIC will continue allocating IPv4 addresses to the LIRs using the current allocation policy http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2005-v4-001.htm. This phase will continue until a request for IPv4 address space from any LIR to AfriNIC either cannot be fulfilled with the IPv4 address space available in the AfriNIC pool (with the exception of the last allocated /8 address block from IANA) or can be fulfilled but leaving the AfriNIC IPv4 address pool empty (with the exception of the last allocated /8 address block from IANA).

This will be the last IPv4 address space request that AfriNIC will accept from any LIR and at this point, the next phase of the process (Exhaustion Phase) will be initiated.

(ii) Exhaustion Phase:

During the exhaustion phase, an interim allocation and assignment policy for the last /8 IPv4 address block will be available to AfriNIC as described below:

a) Instead of the /22 block (1024) addresses allocated in the current policy, a /23 block (512) addresses will be assigned to any LIR that requests for IPv4 resources.

b) The LIR will be required to show an IPv6 adoption plan that should be implemented within 8 months. AfriNIC shall ratify the IPv6 adoption plan.

Upon ratification of the IPv6 adoption plan (previous paragraph), AfriNIC shall allocate an IPv6 address block in compliance with the current IPv6 allocation policy

As proposed above, the current allocation and assignment period of 12 months shall be changed to 8 months. This will help to ensure minimal wastage of resources that could probably lay unused whileother LIRs suffer from deficiency.

Allocation Criteria

Each LIR should receive address space in accordance with the minimum allocation size in effect at time of the request. If AfriNICs minimum allocation size were to change in future, the allocation made under this policy (/23) should also be changed accordingly.

a) Existing LIRs

Upon application, an Existing LIR may receive only a single IPv4 allocation at the minimum allocation size even if their needs justify a larger allocation. The LIR will be required to show an IPv6 adoption plan that should be implemented within 8 months. AfriNIC shall ratify the IPv6 adoption plan. At the time of the IPv4 allocation, AfriNIC shall also allocate an IPv6 address block in compliance with the current IPv6 allocation policy (http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2004-v6-001.htm) to the LIR.

In order to receive additional IPv4 allocations, the Existing LIR must start using the allocated IPv6 address block first, according to the plan ratified by AfriNIC. (In case of no IPv6 upstream provider, this should be clarified to the AfriNIC IP analyst, and the same evaluated by AfriNIC).

Each Existing LIR may apply for and receive this allocation once they meet the criteria to receive IPv4 address space according to the current allocation policy in effect at the time.

This allocation ensures that each Existing LIR receives routable IPv4 addresses that they can use for supporting legacy IPv4 services during the transition phase to IPv6.

b) New LIR's

Each New LIR will receive IPv4 addresses which they can use for supporting legacy IPv4 services to ensure their full presence on the IPv4 Internet during the transition to IPv6. The following will apply: Upon application, a New LIR may receive a maximum of four (4) address blocks according to the minimum allocation size in effect at time of allocation in the AfriNIC region. However, the /23 address blocks shall be issued one at a time.

In order to receive additional IPv4 allocations, the New LIR should have used at least 90% of the previous allocations from the exhaustion phase.

New LIRs may apply for and receive this allocation once they meet the criteria to receive IPv4 address space according to the policy in effect at the time.

IPv4 Address Space Reserve

A /16 IPv4 address block will be in reserve out of the last /8 pool. This /16 IPv4 address block shall be preserved by AfriNIC for some future uses, as yet unforeseen. The Internet is innovative and we cannot predict with certainty what might happen. Therefore, it is prudent to keep this block in reserve, just in case some future requirement creates a demand for IPv4 addresses.

In the event that the reserved /16 IPv4 address block remains unused by the time the remaining /8 address space covered by this policy has been allocated to LIRs, it returns to the pool to be distributed in compliance with this policy.

AfriNIC resources are for the AfriNIC geographical region. None of these resources can be used outside of the AfriNIC region. All LIR's requesting resources must have operations in Africa and all of the allocations shall be used to support the LIR's African Operations.

Author posts updated text of proposal to mailing list. New reference now AFPUB-2010-v4-001

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